Boundary:

The listing boundary commences immeadiately west of the Mcewan Ave road bridge on the north side of the station and follows the railway property boundaries westward adjacent to railway street.At a point just past the property opposite Oakes Estate Road the boundary crosses the tracks and follows the station property boundaries east including the parking area and residence untill reaching the Mcewan Ave road bridge to complete the curtilage.

All addresses

Street Address

Suburb/town

LGA

Parish

County

Type

Henderson Road

Queanbeyan

Queanbeyan

Primary Address

Goulburn-Bombala railway

Queanbeyan

Queanbeyan

Alternate Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name

Owner Category

Date Ownership Updated

RailCorp

State Government

06 Nov 98

Statement of significance:

Queanbeyan Railway Precinct is of state significance as a late Victorian period railway precinct that remains relatively intact and includes several original items from the 1880s including the 1885 roadside station building and c1887 Station Master's residence. The station building is particularly significant, being a fine example of a Victorian first class station building. The station building is the largest and most ornate of the station buildings on the Bombala Line, signifying Queanbeyan as an important location in Southern NSW, even prior to the declaration of Canberra as the nation's capital.

Date significance updated: 19 Jul 13

Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the OEH copyright and disclaimer.

OTHER ITEMS - Managed by ARTC
Turntable (1926);
Water column;
Water tank;
Small gangers shed

STATION BUILDING (1887)
Queanbeyan is the largest and most elaborate station building on the Bombala Line. The station buildings at Queanbeyan present as a symmetrical layout and elevation, with a central waiting room with two single storey structures to either side connected by small pavilions. The plan of the station features a central waiting room flanked by a kitchen, storeroom, refreshment room and dining room to one side; and a Station Master's office, parcels room, ladies waiting room and bathrooms to the other side.

The station buildings are constructed of brick with a painted finish and quoining to building corners. The roofs are gabled and clad in corrugated iron with corbelled brick chimneys and gable vents. The main building features a transverse gable to each end. Gable ends feature decorative timber barge boards with central circular vents and a group of three arched windows below. The platform and rear verandahs have timber posts with curved iron brackets. Timber panelled French doors and timber double hung sash windows have moulded surrounds.

PLATFORM:
A recent study by Australian Museum Consulting, commissioned by Sydney Trains, found that Queanbeyan Station is one of only 11 remaining stations in the Sydney Trains network that has a precast concrete platform structure. All remaining precast platforms in the network are in poor condition or are likely to require reconstruction or demolition in the future. Discussions with Sydney Trains Heritage Division indicate that Queanbeyan Station has been identified as a good location to provide interpretation of this rare and endangered platform type. Interpretation is a conservaiton strategy that would mitigate the loss of significant fabric and technical value of the platform at this site (HIS, 2016, 1).

SIGNAL BOX (1920s) and SIGNAL FRAME
The two signalling structures are simple square structures with single pitch roofs clad in corrugated iron and timber framed walls clad in weatherboard (1920s) or hardiplank.

STATION MASTER'S RESIDENCE (1887)
The brick Station Master's residence features a standard L-shaped plan with symmetrical front facade with full width verandah, a hipped roof clad in corrugated iron, and corbelled brick chimneys.

Modifications and dates:

Part of goods yard transferred to Council for community use c1999

Current use:

Railway Station

Former use:

Railway Station

History

Historical notes:

Queanbeyan is located along the Bombala Line. Construction contract for the Bungendore to Michelago section was awarded to Alex Johnston on 27 May 1884. The single line from Bungendore to Queanbeyan opened on 8 September 1887 (Forsyth, 2008).
The station location chosen was in the Oaks Paddock, two kilometers from the centre of town, which was chosen to avoid the need to demolish the hospital and cemetery. Constructinoo f the station was completed in March 1887 and it opened in September that year (Sydney Trains, 2016, 6).

Construction of the station building, station master's residence, and gatekeeper's cottage were let to a Joseph Jordan on 12 July 1886. The station building was officially opened September 1887 and it is likely that the station master's and gatekeeper's residences were completed the same year (Forsyth, 2008).

In 1884 the NSW government had decreed that, in order to save costs, railway station buildings should be constructed from timber and iron. That Queanbeyan was exempt from this policy shows the status of the station within the NSW network, it was one of only 10 stations built between 1887 and 1892 to have brick station buildings. The remaining 121 stations built complied with the policy of using cheaper construction materials. Queanbeyan Station was designed

The platform was built on the Down (south) side of the railway line, with a carriage dock at the Sydney end of the platform and a crossing loop and stock loop siding on the Up (north) side. The loading bank and goods shed were on the Down side to the west of the station, with a public level crossing at Crest Road, which was abolished on 18 December 1955.

Major additions and other changes to the railway precinct/yard at Queanbeyan included alterations to the parcels office and refreshment room (1890), an office erected for the Sub-Inspector of Per Way (1891), small loading bank provided (1891), engine shed built (1896), gantry crane installed (1903) unloading bank built, and laying in a siding for unloading materials for the Canberra Branch railway line (1913), crossing laid in to Canberra Branch and locomotive water supply increased by 810kL (1924), ash pit built (1927), 60' turntable transferred from Nimmitabel to Queanbeyan (1926), portable workshop provided for the rail motor fitters (1950), siding laid in for stabling of 2-car diesel trains (1952), refreshment rooms closed (1956), renewing goods shed stage in steel and concrete (1963), additional shelter over goods shed stage erected (1961), and rest house closed (1974) (Forsyth, 2008).

A Gatekeeper's residence at Crest Road remains where built west of the station, but is no longer in railway ownership.

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)

New South Wales theme

Local theme

3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies

Transport-Activities associated with the moving of people and goods from one place to another, and systems for the provision of such movements

(none)-

3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies

Transport-Activities associated with the moving of people and goods from one place to another, and systems for the provision of such movements

Building the railway network-

4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities

Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages

19th Century Infrastructure-

4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities

Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages

Creating landmark structures and places in regional settings-

7. Governing-Governing

Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.

Developing roles for government - building and administering rail networks-

Assessment of significance

SHR Criteria a)[Historical significance]

The place has historic significance demonstrating the late 19th century development of the NSW railways. The site includes several items dating from the opening of the line at Queanbeyan in 1887 and has significance demonstrating the layout of a late 19th Century railway station. The station building as the largest and most ornate station on the line is particularly significant in demonstrating the importance of Queanbeyan as an important location in Southern NSW, even prior to the declaration of Canberra as the national capital.

SHR Criteria c)[Aesthetic significance]

The site has aesthetic significance as a railway precinct that retains several original items that demonstrate railway design in the 1880s. The 1887 station building is a fine example of a Victorian first class station building with fabric and fine detailing typical of the period. The 1887 Station Master’s residence is a good example of a standard Victorian railway residence.

SHR Criteria d)[Social significance]

The site is of social significance to the local community on account of its lengthy association for providing an important source of employment, trade and social interaction for the local area. The site is significant for its ability to contribute to the local community's sense of place, is a distinctive feature of the daily life of many community members, and provides a connection to the local community's past.

SHR Criteria g)[Representativeness]

The station building has representative significance as a fine example of a first class station building, similar in design to other station designs from this period in NSW. Other items including the Station Master’s residence, signal box, signal frame, gangers shed, turntable, water column and water tank, demonstrate widespread late 19th and early 20th Century railway customs, activities and design in NSW and are representative of similar items that are found in other railway sites across the state.

Integrity/Intactness:

The station group including the station building and Station Master's residence, platform, signal box, signal frame, turntable, water column and water tank have a high level of integrity. The gangers shed has a moderate level of integrity.